The Global Rundown Peru is opening a large irrigation project to boost agricultural exports. Australia is spending millions on water projects in New South Wales, while Guatemala is spending millions to repay families affected by the Chixoy Dam. A transport route between the Baltic and Black Seas is being revived. Farmers in Bangladesh are growing […]

The Global Rundown The United States and China have agreed to landmark cuts in carbon emissions to fight climate change, which is warming groundwater as well as the air and surface water. The U.S. Congress is moving to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, documents suggest Shell spilled more oil in the Niger Delta than […]

Water Supply The overuse of groundwater in India is creating tensions between farmers and businesses, adding to the urgency of developing a better management system, Bloomberg News reported. For example, farmers in Uttar Pradesh say that a nearby Coca Cola plant has drawn down groundwater reserves so far that they are repeatedly forced to dig […]

Natural Disasters Water levels rose as much as 3 meters in areas of Manila as rains from tropical storm Mario flooded the Philippine capital, The New York Times reported. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from the city while schools, offices, transportation and electricity closed down. Emergency supplies of bottled water are being shipped into […]

Flooding in many coastal areas of the United States has increased since the 1950s, with some places now experiencing flooding once every three months compared to once every one to five years in the past, according to a new study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Reuters reported. Flood frequency has increased at […]

Water Scarcity Agricultural diversions, dams and climate change have led to the loss of 85 percent of the water in Lake Urmia, a lake that once covered 5,000 square kilometers, Bloomberg News reported. Iran’s president said the country is initiating efforts to restore the lake, which are expected to take 10 to 15 years to […]

Drought Farmers in areas of New Mexico and Mexico have agreed for the second year to delay their irrigation water deliveries from the Rio Grande until June due to an ongoing drought, the El Paso Times reported. The city of El Paso is also preparing for water conservation measures and could supplement its water supply […]

In an effort to cut red tape for businesses, 73 percent of the United Kingdom’s environmental rules are being changed or removed, the Guardian reported. The overhaul is expected to save businesses $US 1.6 billion over five years. China After achieving record grain production in 2013, China aims to become completely self-sufficient for its grain […]

United Kingdom More plastic than was previously thought is likely flowing down the River Thames and into the North Sea, creating hazards for wildlife, according to a new report from scientists in the United Kingdom, the Guardian reported. Recent studies around the world have suggested that plastic pollution is just as prevalent and harmful in […]

The World Health Organization is expected this week to confirm more cases of the polio disease in Syria, where it is being transmitted through contaminated food and water, Reuters reported. The disease, which is incurable and causes paralysis, has already been confirmed in 13 children. Climate Change Residents of some atolls in the Solomon Islands […]

Bottled Water With sales of bottled water in China expected to reach $US 16 billion by 2017, some economists worry that government involvement in the industry may encourage lower safety standards as local authorities compete to attract investment, Business Insider reported. China recently announced reforms aimed at cleaning up its food and water supplies. An […]

Philippines Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the central Philippines last Friday, are now desperately searching for limited food and water supplies, The New York Times reported. The typhoon, one of the strongest to ever hit the Philippines, created a massive storm surge that leveled buildings and may have killed tens of thousands of people. […]

Food Record grain harvests in some of the world’s biggest exporters this year have restocked global supplies, drawing down food prices that spiked following the 2012 drought to their lowest level in three years, AlertNet reported. Officials at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned that global markets and prices are still […]

Climate Change Record low sea ice levels were recorded in September 2012, 18 percent lower than the previous record set in 2007, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate change is making the Arctic warmer, and the melting sea ice contributed to record high global sea levels last year, […]

Drought Frequent droughts and unsteady rainfall are pushing families out of the Sahel, a new report from Refugees International says. Most of the region’s 100 million inhabitants rely on seasonal rainfall to rejuvenate farmland and produce feed for their herds, however in recent years an acute shortage of water has drained savings and forced families to move […]

A quickly advancing monsoon covered India by June 16, the earliest date on record and one month before usual, AlertNet reported. The early rains will help improve the growth and yields of summer crops like rice and soybeans, analysts said. Scarce Water Supplies Tight water supplies are getting even tighter in Jordan, as half a […]